Streptococcus pyogenes purpura fulminans and septic shock: A case highlighting the ethical considerations of high-risk extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Abstract

Separately, refractory septic shock and purpura fulminans have very poor outcomes. The ethics involved in offering extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to very high-risk patients is complex. We report a novel case of refractory shock requiring veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and continuous renal replacement therapy due to Streptococcus pyogenes bacteremia with purpura fulminans to highlight the ethical challenges in offering extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to a patient with such a poor likelihood of survival.